Creamy, cheesy, garlicky good. The mighty potato gratin gets a little spring flourish. This wild garlic dauphinoise is simple to make and sure to impress.
What to serve it with?
This wild garlic dauphinoise is crying out the be served as part of a roast dinner or Easter lunch. It would also be lovely with a well dressed green lentil salad. Or on the side of some braised white beans or baked fish.
The potatoes
You will need to use a medium floury variety. I like all-rounders like Maris Pipers, King Edwards, Yukon Gold or Russet. Don’t use anything waxy like a red Desiree. Wash the whole potatoes, but don’t wash them sliced – this will remove too much of their starch. You can peel the potatoes if you want to be extra fancy but there’s really no need. As well as saving you time, the skins are a great source of fibre and nutrients.
Ingredients
Served 6
1.5k medium floury potatoes like Maris Piper or Yukon Gold, washed
750ml whole milk (plus an extra splash to blend the wild garlic)
300ml double cream
120g grated parmesan
A good pinch of grated nutmeg
75g wild garlic, washed
6-8 thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
Looking for substitutions?
- Swap the thyme for rosemary, or use both.
- If you can’t get hold of wild garlic but still want that lovely springy green colour replace the wild garlic in the recipe with parsley and add in a whole head of garlic (cut in half across the centre) to infuse with the milk mixture.
Recipe
- Place the cream, milk and thyme in a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 mins. Leave it to stand while you slice the potatoes
- Slice the potatoes thinly (around 2mm) using a mandoline or by hand
- Add the potatoes into the milk mixture and place on a medium heat. Stir form time to time until the potatoes have softened slightly (not cooked through) and the milk mixture is at coating consistency (you can run your finger through the sauce on a spoon and It leaves a clear channel that does not drip)
- Blitz the wild garlic with a little milk, just enough to get it completely smooth in a fast blender. Stir this into the potatoes with the nutmeg, two thirds of the parmesan and season well.
- Remove any visible thyme stalks and place the potatoes to an oven proof pan or baking dish. Press it down slightly so the top is flat. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place in the oven at 190c fan for 45 minutes, or until golden and tender to a knife. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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